Giro d´Italia 2021 – Stage 14 Preview

By David Hunter

Cittadella > Monte Zoncolan 206.5km

Is it rude to say that the Giro starts now?

It kind of does, but this time with only seven men capable of winning. This stage is the one that I’ve been waiting for, the mighty Zoncolan. A climb where there’s no hiding place, it’s all about the legs.

Weather

More rain, the riders just can’t catch a break at this Giro. Some reports say showers, others say heavy rain. This will make the Zoncolan even harder.

The Zoncolan

Such a demanding climb, one of the hardest in pro cycling.

Breakaway Hopes

Not very good. The start is easy for the peloton to control and quite a few of the GC teams will fancy winning this one. It’s not a great day for the breakaway.

Tactics

Fancy tactics are not required on this climb. The gradient is so steep, drafting isn’t really a help. The rider with the strongest legs will win.

DS Cycling Mole

Come on boys, this is the big one. We can sit back in the bunch for the whole day, then get The Teacher’s Pet to the front for the start of the Zoncolan. We’re a little further down now on GC, but that could be a blessing in disguise. Remco, I want to launch first, go for one of your big ones. Then we’ll see if Bernal can follow. Better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.

Contenders

Egan Bernal – he has started this race in sensational form, he’s looked miles better than everyone else. The Colombian already has a stage win, but he’ll be very keen on winning on top of such an iconic climb. The length and gradient will be good for him, but this will be a serious test of his back injury. His start to the race has answered many of the questions surrounding his form, but this stage will test his back to the max. He will start the stage with the hope of not only winning the stage, but also putting as much time as possible into everyone else, especially Evenepoel. Ineos are looking strong, but Moscon being injured is a big blow to the squad, especially as Sivakov is already out. Bernal will need a big ride from Dani Martínez, but he will be isolated late in the climb. Attacking could be his best line of defence.

Remco Evenepoel – lost crucial time on the white roads, was that just a bad day or a sign of something more worrying? This should be a great climb for the Belgian, especially now as he weighs around the same as a packet of biscuits. Will he be able to put in one of those famous Remco performances? It would be something quite remarkable if he could beat Bernal given the way he was riding on Wednesday, but he is quite remarkable.

Hugh Carthy – does anyone remember his attack at the foot of Zoncolan back in 2018? He lasted around 200m in front, and I remember asking him about it. His response was typical Hugh, something along the lines of, “why not”? It’s quite a journey he’s been on in the last few years; he’s earned his place at the top table of cycling. Iconic climbs and Hugh go well together, he chased Nibali up the Mortirolo in 2019 and won on The Angliru in 2020. The big man excels when the climb is as tough as can be, he’ll love this one. It always surprises me that tall riders do well on climbs like this one, I really don’t understand it. I expect to see Hugh fighting for the win, I’ll be shouting him on from my couch!

Aleksandr Vlasov – sitting 2^nd on GC, the Russian has ridden a good race so far. He was strong on the Angliru last year, he’s another who’ll look forward to this climb. It will be interesting to see if he’s happy with 2^nd or takes a risk and attacks Bernal. He has the ability to win the stage, but it certainly won’t be easy.

Simon Yates – did he deliberately go a little easy in the opening week? That would have been a bold strategy, but after what happened in 2018, it would be a good tactic. This stage will tell us everything we need to know about his current form. If he goes well, we’re in for one hell of a final week.

Emanuel Buchmann – another who started the race on the slow side, but he’s been gradually building. The German is starting to look more and more like his old self, 2020 wasn’t a great year for him. On his day he’s up there with the best climbers in the world, he’ll sense a big chance of moving up on GC.

Damiano Caruso – I’d be amazed if he managed to hang with the best climbers, but the Giro has a habit of amazing me.

Prediction Time

Given the current form he’s in, it looks like another win for Egan Bernal.

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